Dying But Dead
by I'm A Writing Dreamer
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things we see can have the biggest effects in our life. Jason and Annabeth did not expect to be told the truth, because they thought they already knew. But years after they received the note saying they were forgiven, they seemed to realize just how big of an effect their small misunderstanding had. For Doublekitcat, Sportygirl247, and Star Guardian46.
1. Chapter 1

**For Doublekitcat, Sportygirl247, and Star Guardian46. They're the first people I ever had 400+ message conversation with. **

**This is a one-shot from the series that Rick Riordan published to the world. He has revealed the secrets of the demigod world. I hope you enjoy!**

**I own nothing but this plot.**

"It's time for-"

"I am _not_ in the mood for this right now."

"When are you ever?"

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"You better not have."

"I should go now."

"You should."

She didn't realize this at the moment, but this was probably the last time she would speak to him with that light air of joking around.

**Believe**

"Jason," Annabeth called out, her blonde ponytail swishing in the wind as she jogged over to the son of Zeus. "Have you seen Percy?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you'd seen Piper. I haven't seen Percy."

Annabeth shook her head, frowning. "I haven't seen Piper either. Where are they?"

Before they could come up with any conspiracy theories, they both saw Percy and Piper come out the woods, Piper strapping Katropis back to her belt as Percy twirled Riptide (in pen form). They were both grinning hugely, their eyes shining as if all was alright.

"Thank goodness he's here. I need to talk to him about when he wants to leave for New Rome," Annabeth muttered for herself. Jason heard, though, and nodded.

"Percy! Piper!" Jason shouted, and they both looked over, their grins somehow growing bigger. They both looked at each other, mischief taking over, as they began to run over to where Jason and Annabeth were standing.

"I win!" Piper announced as Percy grumbled "Not fair!"

Jason and Annabeth looked closely between the two, before grabbing their partners off to talk to them.

**Trust**

All the next week, Jason and Annabeth would run into each other, trying to find Percy and Piper again, when they would see them walking out of the forest, grinning with a hint of secrecy. When they would question them about it, they wouldn't say much, shrugging it off and not paying attention until the subject was changed.

Annabeth noticed that Percy was acting a little distant recently. Whenever she would talk to him, he would glance wistfully at the dark forest, as if wishing to be back there with Piper again. It sent her nerves frying, and suspicion flying off the radar.

"They're up to something," she said, storming into the Zeus cabin to find Jason lying on his bunk.

"I know," he replied, not even looking over at her. Annabeth quietly closed the door to the cabin, sitting on the bunk next to Jason.

"Do you know what?"

Jason faced her and rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, Annabeth," he spoke sarcastically, "I _definitely_ know what is going on. I also know why we were born blondes and where Leo disappeared to."

Annabeth smacked his arm. He was getting a little too hurtful with his sarcasm. "Should we go in and see?"

"We don't need to. We trust them, right?"

Annabeth exhaled loudly, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. "It's been six days, Jason. And Percy hasn't breathed a word to me. And he's been fidgety recently too."

Jason looked at her in shock. "Piper too."

"Well duh," she said, rolling her eyes and shoving him softly. "Percy and Piper are disappearing off together. Their reactions should be the same."

"Well, yeah..."

Annabeth got up, stretched, and waved goodbye as she began to leave.

"So what?" Jason called after her. "We just trust them?"

"We just trust them," she confirmed, slowly opening the door. She was almost out when she turned back to look at him. "We trust them because we love them."

She let the door thud softly behind her.

**Need**

"What are you doing tonight?" Percy asked her the next morning, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I don't know. I've already packed my stuff. So... I'm guessing we'll pack yours?"

He rolled his eyes, tugging her to himself softly with her arm. "I don't think so, Annabeth. I want us to relax tonight."

"Percy-"

"We relax, Annabeth."

She searched his green eyes for whatever he was planning. But he sounded so genuine, his eyes bright at the thought of being with her tonight, that she just had to say yes.

She couldn't know it would become a disaster.

**Pained**

She was just talking a walk along the beach when she was joined by Jason.

"We need to talk," he said as means of a greeting.

"I can't, Jason. I have to go meet up with Percy."

Jason froze, grabbing her arm to keep her from going ahead.

"Percy said he wants to be with you tonight?" Annabeth nodded, grinning. "That's what Piper said too."

Annabeth's grin slid off, her eyebrows scrunching together again as she tried to figure out what was happening.

"Piper and Percy asked us to be with them tonight... the same night..."

"That's not why I came here, though."

"Then why?"

He rolled his electric blue eyes, tugging Annabeth a little ways into the forest. "You'll see why," was his only explanation.

**Experience**

"I can imagine Annabeth crying when we tell them," Piper was saying as they crept up behind them. Percy was standing next to her, his arm held out in front of him. They had their backs to Jason and Annabeth.

"And I can totally imagine Jason being _shocked_," Piper giggled at the last word, "when we tell them."

"You think we're right about this?"

Percy didn't reply for a minute. Then, he said "I think we're doing the right thing, Pipe. I think we are."

She didn't wait to hear more before she ran off to the beach again.

**Break**

"Annabeth, I'm sure there's a logical reason other than-"

"Other than what, Jason?" she snapped, staring at him through her blood-shot eyes. She wiped her tears with the heel of her hand as she stood up and faced the blue-eyed boy. "Other than the fact that they're cheating on us? All I heard was that I would cry when I find out I'm being dumped, and you'll be shocked to find you're not loved anymore. Did you hear something else?"

She'd struck a nerve with her words; the darkened blue eyes proved that.

"And how do you propose we fix it, Grace?" she continued, grasping at any way to get it off her chest. "How are we supposed to right the wrong committed to us?"

"Like this," he simply said, not giving her a chance to mull over his words as he stepped closer.

He grabbed her chin in his hands, slowly tilting her head up to meet his lips. Annabeth could've pulled away, shying away from him until she was as far as she could go. But in that moment, she was reminded of Percy and Piper sneaking off into the woods together. Her body took over as she kissed the former praetor of Rome back.

"Annabeth?" a voice called. It was laced with so much betrayal, and so much hurt, that her eyes widened as she pulled away from Jason.

"Jason?" a second voice called, filled with the same emotions.

The two blondes turned to see the two people they had loved. Piper and Percy looked so hurt, it caused them to wince.

"What's going on?" Percy asked, his lower lip wobbling slightly.

"Percy we were just- I mean I wasn't-"

"I thought you loved us," Piper whispered softly, tears shining from the light of the setting sun.

Annabeth started feeling even worse.

"Piper we weren't- I wasn't-"

Jason stepped forward, his eyes swirling with anger. "I thought you loved me Piper."

The Cherokee girl blinked in confusion. "I do, Jason. I... I love you so much. And I thought you loved me too."

"Then why would you cheat on me with Percy?"

Percy and Piper stepped back, wincing, as if they had been slapped. "We're not cheating on you," they protested in unison.

"Then where have you been disappearing off to for the past week?" Annabeth spoke up, stepping forward and letting her anger show.

"We were planning to hang out with you two," Percy replied, still sounding hurt.

"And you need a week to plan what to do?" Jason question, his voice a steely calm.

"Well... you see- we were just-"

"Going behind our backs," Annabeth finished for the stuttering Percy, "and cheating on us."

"No! We weren't. We were just..." But Piper didn't finish her sentence, instead gazing into the distance.

"You were planning on breaking up with me tonight," Jason accused her, his voice raging with anger. "You were going to take me in to the woods and tell me you never loved me and-"

"STOP!" Piper screamed, and the charmspeak made Jason freeze. "I wasn't going to break up with you, you idiot. I was going to propose to you!"

It was obviously not what either of them had expected her to say, because they both froze from their accusations.

"What?" Annabeth asked, being the first to recover.

"Percy was going to propose to you tonight, and I didn't want it to be the regular 'guy proposing to the girl' thing for me, so I was going to propose to Jason. We planned a great night but..."

"... we didn't expect you two to be in such an... intimate position," Percy finished, his eyes turning sad with every word.

It finally dawned on Jason and Annabeth the situation they were in.

"Percy I didn't mean to-"

"No," he interrupted, his voice calm. And it felt worse that he wasn't yelling at her. "You've done what you meant to." He ran off to the end of the beach and jumped into the ocean.

Jason turned to Piper, guilt written all over.

"Pipes, I thought that you and Percy were sneaking off to-"

"You could've talked to me," she interrupted, whispering softly as the tears in her eyes started spilling. "Because that's the kind of relationship I thought we had."

The daughter of Aphrodite spun on her heel and sped off to the cabins.

Neither Jason nor Annabeth had ever felt like such rotten people.

**Reface**

Annabeth waited all night on the beach, crying her heart out as she waited for Percy to return. Jason sat on the steps of the Aphrodite cabin, receiving dirty looks from all of Piper's siblings as he waited for his girlfriend to emerge. They both realized too late that Percy and Piper might've left the camp already; Percy through the ocean and Piper through the magic of the Hecate cabin.

They went to New Rome for college and didn't try to contact Percy and Piper. Half because they thought they deserved their space and half because they had no idea where they were.

They received identical letters exactly a year later. The envelopes only had their names on them, and they were in a computer font. There was no return address or sender address. The letters for Annabeth and Jason said the same thing.

_I forgive you._

There was no doubt who had sent it.

* * *

_You are cordially invited_

_To the union of_

_Will Solace &amp; Nico di Angelo_

* * *

The wedding was going as it should, with Annabeth and Jason sitting in the front row, for about the first 10 minutes.

Now, calm down. Neither Nico nor Will were wearing _dresses _(someone had suggested it, and Will had wanted to do it. Nico had not). Even with Hera's reluctance, this marriage was still happening.

"Now," Hera was saying as she turned to face Will, "do you, Will Solace, son of Apollo, take Nico di-" She took a break to clear her throat, as if saying the words could kill her. "Do you take Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to cherish and to love forever?"

Will smiled his million-watt smile at her, winking before responding. "I-"

"DON'T!" A voice shouted from outside, seemingly coming closer even though it was just one word. "DON'T SAY ANYTHING!"

Jason and Annabeth were, for the most part, confused, but everyone else seemed to know at least a little bit of what was going on. "This oughta be fun," they heard someone nearby mutter.

The door to the wedding venue opened to reveal a disheveled Percy, and Annabeth had to hold in a gasp. His clothes were in tatters, his hair as messy as always. He was breathing heavily, but the grin on his face seemed to say "glad I could make it." Even from a a distance, they could hear Clarisse sigh "Really?"

"I brought a present," Percy finally said after catching his breath.

"The presents, _young hero_," Hera spat at him, "are to wait until after the main event. Which is now."

Percy began walking up to the couple at the altar, shaking his head. "Oh, but you see, this present needs to be given _before_ or _during_ the main event. Otherwise, it loses it's quality."

"Didn't know it could lose its quality," a new voice muttered, and this time they turned to find Piper standing there, perfectly composed.

Hazel, who was sitting on Annabeth's left, turned to Annabeth with a grin and in a low voice whispered "His partner in crime arrives." She didn't know what that meant.

The fate less night had happened a little over 4 years ago, and her last communication with Percy was three years ago. She hadn't ever thought that Percy and Piper had stayed in touch.

"This is going to be one heck of a show," Frank added from next to Hazel. His girlfriend nodded, as if there were no truer words.

"So what is this present?" Hera questioned, staring at the interrupting pair distastefully. Neither of them were unfazed.

"McShizzle in the house," yet _another_ voice said, but it was a voice Annabeth didn't think she would ever hear again. After all, the owner had disappeared 5 years ago.

"Leo?" she found herself asking as she turned, Hazel, Frank, and Jason's voice joining with hers.

Leo was standing there in all his glory, wearing a denim t-shirt and jeans, as a girl with braided caramel hair and almond-shaped eyes stood with her arms wrapped around him.

"It's Hot Stuff right here," he announced when he spotted all four of them, and it was enough to make them jump out of their seats to get up and hug him.

"Told you they missed you," Piper remarked matter-of-factly. "Now let's get on with this wedding!"

**Breathless**

They all ended up planning a spontaneous road trip, just Percy, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Calypso, Jason, and Annabeth. Piper and Percy hadn't looked at Jason or Annabeth, so when they had been dragged into the conversation, they were ready for accusatory, betrayed looks. Instead, all the got were airy smiles that seemed to be nothing but happy.

"Let's get this show on the road," Percy called from the driver's seat. In the passenger seat next to him, Piper was grinning mischievously, looking down at her palms as if planning something. Directly behind behind was Hazel, Frank on her left with Jason sitting behind Percy. Behind Hazel sat Annabeth, who was edged away from Leo so as to give him his privacy with Calypso.

"How about you start driving?" Piper retorted, and Percy blew a raspberry at her before starting the car and putting it in drive.

They were driving to Alaska because according to Percy, he had "been inspired by John Green's 'Looking for Alaska' to take another trip up north." Annabeth got the feeling he hadn't read the book.

"I'm planning to," he defended when Annabeth brought up her point. "Besides, this trip isn't about reading."

The drive would take them about 15 hours if they remained at a constant speed, Percy announced. They left at 5:00 P.M., Percy telling everyone to rest up because they would be driving later on. Everyone was up so late planning Will and Nico's wedding, whereas Leo and Calypso hadn't been in their time zone (or any time zone, really), they fell asleep instantly.

When Annabeth woke up after fulfilling her sleep, she found Piper singing along softly to the radio.

She opened her eye about a millimeter and saw Jason's head tilted towards her. The way his eyelashes fluttered, she knew he was awake. Piper continued, but then stopped. The song kept playing, moving into what sounded like the chorus.

The music shut off completely, and Annabeth stayed immobile for fear of being caught. After a few, long seconds, she heard Piper sniff.

"Do you think," her old friend said, "that people realize? That the Piper they see, smiling every second of every day, is the same Piper who cries herself to sleep?" Annabeth heard Piper ask. Annabeth didn't have to worry about being immobile anymore; Piper's words had frozen her anyway. "Do you think they realize," she continued, "that the Percy they see, who hasn't even grown up, is the same Percy who wakes up from nightmares every night because he fell into Tartarus for someone he loved?"

"Not loved, Piper," Percy said softly, still driving. "_L__ove. _Present tense."

"How can you even say that?"

"What are you trying to say? That you're not in love with Jason anymore? That's a bunch of Minotaur dung, Pipe, and you know it."

It was silent in the car after that, and during that time, Annabeth was able to catch Jason's eye as they pretended to stay asleep.

"It's 3 A.M.," Percy muttered. "I'm ready to drop. They should be fully charged now."

He swerved off the freeway and onto a rest stop. When everyone else realized that Percy had driven for 10 hours straight, they were outraged.

"This is why we don't ever want to go on road trips with you," Hazel complained. "You always do most of the driving."

"No offense, Perce," Frank added, "but sometimes we wish you'd just leave."

Piper and Percy shared some sort of secretive look missed by everyone but Jason and Annabeth.

"We'll go in," Piper declared. "Pay for the gas and get any snacks. You guys stay out here."

Everyone nodded, still not completely awake, as Piper and Percy went in.

'How did they become such good friends?" Leo finally asked. Jason and Annabeth stiffened, whereas Hazel and Frank met each other's gaze.

"We're not exactly sure," Hazel began.

"I mean, we were all on The Argo together, but Percy and Piper weren't exactly what you call close," Frank continued.

"But a year afterwards," Hazel carried on. "We just stopped hearing from them. Completely. And it lasted for an entire eighteen months before they finally reconnected with us. They claimed to have been exploring America."

"They once told us they went to this really sketchy cafe in Boston, and some guys tried to steal Piper's purse," Frank recalled.

"It was something," Hazel commented, and Frank nodded, sharing his agreement.

"Wow," Leo said, and Calypso rolled her eyes.

"So clever with words," she commented.

But it got Annabeth and Jason thinking.

**Scattered**

A week later, back in her bedroom, Annabeth was bugged with another demigod dream. However, unlike the ones she usually got, this one wasn't about Tartarus.

No, it was about Percy and Piper.

They were sitting in their car, which was standing in the middle of nowhere. Percy was drumming his finger on the steering wheel as Piper stared out the windshield.

"We don't have to do this," the daughter of Aphrodite said quietly.

"But don't we want to?" Percy asked, turning to face her. Piper stared at him, and they both seemed to be coming to a conclusion as they leaned forward and embraced.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Percy," Piper said, her voice sounding choked.

"So will I," Percy confessed, his eyes trained on the horizon.

And it hit Annabeth like a ton of bricks.

Percy and Piper were strong in front of everyone else. Piper allowed herself to break down in front of Percy, but Percy had to stay strong for her. He had no one to break down for.

"You'll Iris-message?" Piper asked.

Percy rolled his sea-green eyes, which had become dull in the past few years. "Duh."

They smiled at each other, lacing their fingers together for a minute. Then Piper turned away and opened the door, trying hard to hide her tears. Percy stepped out as well.

"Thank you, Ms. McLean," Percy shouted over the top of the car.

"Thank _you_, Mr. Jackson," Piper shouted back, both of them laughing before they turned away. They took small steps away from the car, occasionally turning a little to glance at each other.

"Enjoy Paris," Percy called out to her.

"Enjoy the ocean," Piper called back.

And that was when she realized that over these past 3 years, Percy and Piper had learned to love each other. But they had also learned to do the hardest things to stay strong, and right now, it was leaving each other.

It was leaving themselves.

* * *

**So, how did you like it, Zoe? Rin? Star?**

**Should I continue? Because I have a second part planned out. I can publish it if you like this.**

**Review and tell me if you want me to turn this into a two-shot!**

**Smiles Burn In The Styx!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my gods, you guys are ruining me. ****_16_**** positive reviews on this one piece of writing? I feel like fainting, I've never gotten that many. I can honestly say this story is my best one. I mean, almost everyone wanted a second chapter. Honestly, I don't know why. The ending is so... well you'll see soon.**

**So, I'm so glad you're all reading this and sticking with this story.**

**TheProficientPenMan (or as you reviewed, The Mack): Yes, I love that criticism. There wasn't really a reason behind it, unfortunately. The tattered clothes... I mean, it's Percy. What did you expect? I guess I'll clarify that here just for you in this chapter.**

**dukeofpoorplanning: I guess it is OOC of them, but hey, if they weren't so OOC, this story couldn't exist.**

**dogbuiscuit1967: Thank you for saying that. And for sticking up for me in a way. You don't know how much I want to shake your hand and hug you right now.**

**Enjoy this! I'm not nearly as awesome as Uncle Rick that I could have written the original series. I only own this plot.**

Piper returned a year later. She had a fun time in Paris, she told them, but she was glad to be back again. She and Jason gave another try.

It took some time, but they began trusting each other and in no time, were back to the relationship they had before.

And to repair her friendship with Annabeth, they talked all night.

"The first year was the hardest," Piper explained. "I was drowning in my own sorrow, and so was Percy. But then the Fates made our paths cross again and next thing we knew, we began exploring America. And when we came back, we just... became the jokesters. We began making everyone laugh just so... just so they wouldn't feel alone."

"We shouldn't have jump to conclusions about you two," Annabeth had said. "You two loved us and trusted us, and we... we just didn't."

Piper had told her she regretted nothing, but it was easy for her. She had Jason back. Annabeth didn't have Percy.

But even Piper didn't know where Percy was. He had stopped IMing Piper when she told him she was going back.

**Recount**

"What I don't understand," Hazel said as she placed the casserole on the tale, "is how you and Percy managed to find our little lovebirds here."

Everyone around her was desperately in love, and Annabeth realized just how alone Leo must've felt on the Argo II. She felt horrible he had to feel that way with his best friends.

"Oh," Piper said, biting her lip and staring at her hands. She had a dopey little smile on her face, as if she was thinking of great times.

Everyone, even Jason, had yet to scratch the surface about her time with Percy. They had just done too many amazing things together.

"Well, we were headed to the Wilco marriage." She stared at everyone's passive faces before shrugging. "I like that name. Don't judge me

So, we were on the way, and judging from the route we were taking, we would have gotten there an hour before it started."

"But you were late," Frank pointed out as he swallowed his last bite.

"I was riding with Percy. Of course we were late." When everyone stared at her in confusion, Piper shrugged. "Child of the Big Three, strong demigod aura, remember?" They understood. "We got attacked by... Chimera? Edna?"

Annabeth froze. She remembered the last time Percy had faced Chimera and Edna. It was in the St. Louis Arch, when he had dived hundreds of feet straight into the Mississippi.

Leo grinned,, obviously knowing this part of the story.

"Callie and I had just reentered into the mortal world, and when we saw Percy and Piper, we immediately descended to help them. They obviously needed it."

Piper scoffed. "Save your ego, man."

"Weren't Percy's clothes in tatters?" Jason recalled.

"He ran from the entrance of the camp all the way to the venue. Of _course_ his clothes would be in tatters, Jason. It's _Percy_."

Annabeth didn't let it show through Piper's words, but she hated that everyone kept underestimating him. They were talking about him behind his back, making fun of his clumsiness and things she had found endearing, and she wasn't even stopping them.

She felt disgusted at herself. She supposedly loved him? A stranger could probably show him more love than she.

"Earth to Annie," Jason called, waving his hands in front of her face. She smiled at him, having reassembled the mask she used to have before Percy waltzed into her life.

**Shock**

Hazel and Frank were getting married, and it was the night before the big day. Jason, Will, Nico, Leo, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, Malcolm, Connor, Travis-

You know what? Almost all of the males they knew, with the exception of Percy because no one knew where he was, had dragged Frank off to a bachelor's party.

When they all came stumbling back, their faces were awed.

Frank kept muttering "I can't believe it" under his breath.

"What's so unbelievable?" Hazel asked. But Frank shook his head and refused to say.

While Hazel was getting ready the next day, she looked sad. Really sad.

"I wish Percy could be here," she said as Piper braided her hair.

"I'm sure he would be if he could-" Reyna was cut off by a new voice.

"Your wish is my command."

All five of them- Annabeth, Piper, Hazel, Rachel, and Reyna- turned to the door with their eyes wide and jaw open. Standing in all his 24-year-old glory was Percy himself, his green eyes still dull as he smiled.

Annabeth pieced it together. He had been at Frank's bachelor's party last night, and had made him swear not to tell Hazel so he could surprise her.

It obviously worked, from the way she immediately ran over to hug him, Forcing a laugh out of him. "Missed you too, Levesque," he said. Then pulling back with a mischievous smirk, he said "Oh wait. You won't be 'Levesque' for much longer. You're turning into a 'Zhang' soon."

Hazel punched his arm. He pretended it hurt. Piper walked up to him and punched him again. This time, it actually was hard.

"You haven't IM'ed me in_ twelve months_, Percy," she screamed at him. "Where in Hades have you been?"

Instead of Percy, Rachel spoke up. "It was a threat in the ocean," she interjected calmly. "Percy needed to lay low so he could figure it out."

Annabeth turned to the red-head. "You knew what was going on?"

Rachel shrugged. "Oracle dream. What can I say?"

They all wanted to tell Rachel that they would've liked to know, but they didn't. As an oracle, she's meant to keep a few things to herself. But they still don't understand why Percy's whereabouts were one of them.

"Anywho..." Percy said into the awkward silence that had settled. "Awesome Awesome Percy is back now. Where's the love?" When they just blinked at him, he sighed and shook his head before explaining. "When I showed up to the guys, they literally jumped me, yelling that I was an idiot, I was stupid, and that I was lucky they weren't killing me."

Taking a deep breathe, Annabeth steeled herself before walking up to Percy and wrapping her arms around his torso. Resting her head on his chest, she found herself wishing multiple things.

She wished Percy would forgive her. She wished they could try again. She wished she wouldn't have to stay the guarded and careful Annabeth anymore. She wished she could be loved by her Seaweed Brain once more.

Percy wrapped his arms around her as well, squeezing her gently. He let go a second later, but it still felt like half of her life to her.

"Are you one of Frank's manservants?" Reyna asked jokingly.

Percy grinned. "How ever did you know? But I should probably go. I'll see you all downstairs."

"I'll come too," Rachel announced, getting up from her seat and following Percy.

She wished the guilt would stop killing her.

**Arising**

The gods started arguing. The thunderstorms started all over again. Death rates started dropping (which would've been a good thing, but the population was too high). It started near the end of Hazel and Frank's wedding.

Five days after it, they went to go check it out. It was lucky too, because it happened to be the winter solstice.

The Olympus council was a mess. Hades and Zeus were yelling at each other, other Olympians taking sides. Hera, Ares, Hermes, were obviously on Hades' side. Aphrodite, Dionysus, Apollo were on Zeus's side. The rest- Artemis, Hephaestus, Athena, Poseidon, and Demeter- were just standing around, obviously annoyed by their fellow Olympians. Hestia was watching quietly.

"Dad," Percy called out. Poseidon turned to Percy with a bright smile. "What are Uncles Zeus and Hades fighting about?"

Poseidon walked over and rolled his eyes at his brothers before replying. "Apparently some mortal woman Zeus had his eyes on died, and Zeus is blaming Hades and asking for him to let her go."

"That doesn't sound like asking," Annabeth commented, glancing as the gods turned red.

Poseidon snorted. "It isn't. And neither of them are willing to compromise."

"I think I know a way," Percy muttered, stepping up to talk the gods.

"Uncles!" he called out, and neither of them paid any attention to him. Obviously fed up, Percy put his fingers to his mouth and emitted a high-pitched whistle. It was deafening enough to make the gods wince.

"What do you want, puny mortal?" Zeus spat, shaking his head furiously. Aphrodite smacked him.

"Quiet down! This is my favorite mortal. Oh so much turmoil in love... It's the tragedy of this century," she said. Percy shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Annabeth dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Why are you even arguing?" Percy asked, knowing the answer already.

Like a true 5-year-old, Zeus turned to Hades and wagged a finger, saying "He killed the mortal woman I had my eyes on."

"You're married," Percy pointed out, almost sounding bored. It explained why Hera was siding with Hades.

"Her death was inevitable!" Hades shouted. "I can't defy the rules of death!"

Hades and Zeus began shouting at one another again, and Percy screamed "SHUT THE HADES UP!" Hades turned to him with an arched eyebrow.

"Shut the 'me' up?"

"Exactly," Percy grinned.

The gods slowly took back to their thrones, wanting to hear the compromise Percy had been coming up with.

"The exchange is a soul for a soul, right Uncle Hades?" he asked, receiving a nod from the lord of the Underworld.

"No..." Annabeth whispered softly to herself, realizing exactly what Percy was doing.

Poseidon tilted his head towards Percy, just as he spoke again. "So take my soul, and resurrect the mortal woman. I've lived longer than average anyway."

...

...

...

The throne room went into chaos all over again.

"HE'S A PART OF AN AMAZING LOVE TRAGEDY!" Aphrodite shrieked. "YOU CAN'T KILL HIM!"

"MY SON IS NOT DYING FOR YOUR STUPID DESIRES!" Poseidon shouted.

"GET RID OF THE HERO!" Hera screamed.

"HE'S A PAIN ANYWAYS," Ares agreed.

"It is not wise," Athena's calm voice said.

Annabeth strode over to where Percy was standing and turned him to face her.

"You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're joking."

"No, Annabeth," he said, his voice still a calm timbre. "They'll start a stupid war. We need to stop them now."

"Then I'll give my soul," she said.

"No," Piper's voice said from behind her. "It should be me."

"Absolutely not," Jason argued. "It needs to be me."

"No," Percy said, still in that calm voice. "You two can't live without each other," he claimed, pointing between the two before turning back to Annabeth. "You've got a dream to live. I'll be fine, okay? I'll wait in Elysium."

"Percy," the grey-eyed girl said softly. There was so much unresolved between them. They hadn't had any time. And now they never would.

As if sensing everything going on inside her, he smiled sadly at her. "Get a pool for me, won't you? I want to be enjoyed."

"Try not to let your corpse drool," she managed through choked sobs. He grinned, before running inside the throng of gods.

"QUIET!" he screamed as loud as he could, getting everyone's attention. Then, turning to Hades, he asked "Is it possible?"

The god nodded. From his throne, Poseidon called to Percy. "Are you sure, son?"

"Positive."

Hades let his hand rest on Percy's shoulder as he muttered under his breath. Slowly, the energy drained out of Percy.

"Wait for us in Elysium!" Piper called out, her voice coming out panicked.

"I will," Percy muttered sounding breathless.

Just as his body was about to hit the floor of Olympus, Annabeth shouted out "Wait!"

But it was too late, as the life had already been drained out of Percy.

"It's done," Hades declared quietly.

Turning to glare at Zeus, Poseidon said "I hope you're happy," before disappearing from the council room. The rest of the gods began to dispel, leaving just the demigods and their dead friend. Nico began to shift uncomfortably.

"What is it?" Will asked.

"His soul is calling me down," he muttered, still shifting. "He wants to say something."

Nico and Will left, Jason carried Piper out while she was crying on his shoulder, Hazel and Frank walked off, grieving, Leo and Calypso looked crestfallen as they went back out the Empire State Building, and Annabeth was the only one left with Percy's dead body.

"I wish we were together," she whispered softly, walking over and crouching down to cradle his head in her lap. She stroked his face softly, tracing all the lines around his eyes and the wrinkles on his forehead.

"I wish we hadn't let go."

* * *

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I warned every single one of you!**

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